Green Queen/Meyer Hatchery

[humblehillsfarm]

The Brahmas are my favorite for looks & temperament. They have not been the best at laying but that is fine. If that was important I would have gotten sexlinks. I would have thought that they would love the cold, I guess no one likes 0 though?!!
I'm kinda diggin' breeding the gals and coming up with my own, a bit more heat tolerant breeds with the feathered feet. First gal went broody after her first 15 eggs that would ba a fail as far as I am concerned.

I would kinda say my brahmas have been great layers only because they are still consistent at four years old, BUT they are the oldest chickens I've ever had. It's my understanding that many may stop after this age? I had a cochin and even at three years old she'd pop out 3-4 eggs in the early spring and be done for the year. Sadly a coyote got her a few weeks ago

 

[AllenK RGV]

I sort of acquired mine on accident, and for all breeds I've bought with intention, I plan for both heat and cold. It's hard considering summers are in the 90s but it's not unheard of for temps to dip below zero in the winter. My poor little birds despise the snow. On those days their little tracks go straight from the coop to under the coop. They don't venture anywhere else!

For chicken picking breeds to try...I go here : https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/chicken-chart

The Sumatra I zeroed in on have been a good fit for my climate and predators. The silkies I have were an impulse thing I used to sell the wife on more chicken but fail to predation in winter or what passes for winter down here. Fortunately the Silkies breed and brood like crazy so are a self maintaining flock.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

For chicken picking breeds to try...I go here : https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/chicken-chart

The Sumatra I zeroed in on have been a good fit for my climate and predators. The silkies I have were an impulse thing I used to sell the wife on more chicken but fail to predation in winter or what passes for winter down here. Fortunately the Silkies breed and brood like crazy so are a self maintaining flock.

That is missing a few breeds, but of the ones listed that I've had, they do well with one or the other, not both lol. Fortunately everything has been fine for my birds, but I try to practice good husbandry to keep them safe.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

Last year all of mine stopped laying and I felt the heat was worse this year but everyone kept laying, even my four year old buff brahmas. *Most* of mine have large combs, except my EEs and brahmas. I see you're from WV, I'm from Morgantown originally and still live kinda nearby.

We have leghorns, australorps, cream legbars, black copper marans, lavender orpingtons and a few other assorted birds. So mostly pretty large combs. The leghorns handled the heat well and the orpingtons hated it, with everyone else in between.

Yep, we moved back to WV last year after years on the east coast. We're just a bit north of Charleston. We've since went from wanting a few laying hens to 46 birds.

 

[TropicalBabies]

The silkies I have were an impulse thing I used to sell the wife on more chickens

went from wanting a few laying hens to 46 birds

This is apparently a reoccuring theme on this site lol. I am absolutely guilty of the same and similar tactics. I will never forget when I threw scraps out to the flock and my DH started counting...! luckily people who have this chicken hoarding tendency like me are quick on their feet to avoid the reality of actual flock size. I'm sure I must have called him into breakfast or offered to buy him a chainsaw or new truck as a distraction. I was glad the other 10 were on the other side of the yard thrashing the bushes for lizards. Whew! But that was a close one!!!

 

[SadariEvenstar]

I was supposed to have 6-8 hens and no roosters. I now have 13 hens, 2 roosters..... and 3 ducks.

I don't even like eggs that much. Lolol

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

Good ol' chicken math. When we wanted silkies, I figured we should make some room in the coops. So naturally, my wife let me sell 4 hens and we ordered 16 to replace them.

I was kidding on here a while back that I was happy to deal with her chicken math as long as it kept her from adding other animals into the equation as extra variables.

Then we brought home 2 nubian goats last week.

I guess it's a good thing I really do enjoy the chickens.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Good ol' chicken math. When we wanted silkies, I figured we should make some room in the coops. So naturally, my wife let me sell 4 hens and we ordered 16 to replace them.

I was kidding on here a while back that I was happy to deal with her chicken math as long as it kept her from adding other animals into the equation as extra variables.

Then we brought home 2 nubian goats last week.

I guess it's a good thing I really do enjoy the chickens.

I love that goat poop smell though! I try to get my neighbor to just drop them in my chicken pens to maintain the grass as often as I can. The chicken always want out at first light to free range even though they are Silkies. I should have never let them learn that there is a gate.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

That makes sense! Goats are useful, I guess. We have some steep sections here that are dangerous to mow and brutal to weed wack so that's how she convinced me. These guys are fixed so no hormones, just pet lawn mowers. My mastiff is very confused why there are weird little dogs with horns on his property.

That's hilarious about the silkies. My cream legbars and legbar mix OE have decided their run is only a suggestion anyway. They taught the orpingtons how to escape as well but those are now too chubby to squeeze under or fly over the fence.

 

[Redchels]

I'll have to get a photo for you but ours is only about 3 weeks. Smallish for large fowl, mostly brown, with what may be a small crest starting.

We did the rare assortment from them a few months ago and were really happy with it. But figuring out what they all were took a while. Our olive egger from that batch started laying yesterday.

so maybe I’m wrong on my guess on this rare reed box pullet. She has greenish legs but it as of now totally white.